New York Post - May 7, 1999
MONICA SPARKS MAYHEM IN DOWNTOWN BRAWL By JARED PAUL STERN ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Monica Lewinsky rehearsed yesterday for her appearance on "Saturday Night Live," hours after sparking a bar brawl at a downtown hotspot.
About 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, the portly pepperpot was ensconced with TV actress Camryn Manheim in a corner booth at Joe's Pub, sipping Cosmopolitans and minding their own business, witnesses said.
Rap mogul Russell Simmons was just winding down a party there for his "OneWorld" magazine, attended by the likes of Bad Boy records boss Andre Harrell and fashion photographers Sante D'Orazio and Ellen Von Unwerth.
The trouble started when a couple of the partygoers recognized President Clinton's white pantsuit-clad ex-girlfriend and Manheim, a star of ABC's "The Practice" and author of "Wake Up, I'm Fat."
They hovered around their table, making obnoxious comments, said witnesses at the club, located in the Public Theater on Lafayette Street in Greenwich Village.
One of the harassers tried to sit down and tried to have his picture taken with Lewinsky as a backdrop.
A witness said when another man came over to tell the partyers to leave Lewinsky alone, one of the hip-hoppers sucker-punched him, instigating a huge brawl. As others rushed to the partyers' defense, a bouncer and security guards stepped in. The bouncer got a bottle broken over his head.
Chairs and tables were overturned in the ensuing melee, which spilled out into the street, witnesses said.
At one point another brawler climbed on top of a table and yelled offensively at Lewinsky.
By that time, the former intern and Manheim - who became fast friends at Vanity Fair's Oscar party - had bolted for the exit.
"It was insane, a complete and utter mess, but eventually they got it cleaned up and went back to business as usual," said one witness.
At least six police cruisers raced to the scene, but no arrests were made.
"We had to throw them [the brawlers] out when they started beating the guy" who intervened, Joe's owner Serge Becker told The Post.
"It was stupid. Anyway, we don't let people take pictures like that. Monica was the impetus, but it wasn't really about her. They were just beinga------s."
"It was actually kind of funny," says OneWorld's Kariem Amatullah, who organized the bash.
"The testosterone level just rose when she [Lewinsky] walked in. Every guy had a comment," he said.
"But the security guards were overzealous. I'd be glad to have Monica Lewinsky at any event. We actually have to reach out to her and apologize." Lewinsky is in town to promote her book and appear on Saturday's SNL, with guest host Cuba Gooding Jr.